Palliative Medicine Program
Banner Good Samaritan's Palliative Care program offers specialized medical care for people with serious illnesses. This type of care involves addressing physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual needs – whatever the diagnosis.
Palliative Care is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness, and can be provided together with curative treatment.
Our goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family. Palliative Care is provided by a team of doctors, nurses, and other specialists who work with a patient’s health care providers to provide an extra layer of support.
Scope of Services
Palliative Care provides support by controlling symptoms and helping patients and their families understand the treatment goals and options. The team assists families with difficult and complex treatment choices and emotional support.
Core Palliative Services
Our services include:
- Assessment and management of symptoms including pain, dyspnea, depression, anxiety and delirium.
- Symptom management
- Diagnosis and prognosis discussions
- Development of goals of care
- Advance care planning
- Support for family conferences
- Patient and family counseling
- Disposition assessment for patients with potentially life-limiting or life-threatening condition
- Assist Care Management Team
Mission Statement
To provide compassionate, comprehensive and interdisciplinary care that reduces suffering and optimizes quality of life by addressing physical, emotional and spiritual needs for patients and families experiencing serious illness.
Key Personnel
Stacie Pinderhughes, MD, is the medical director of the Palliative Medicine Program. She is certified in Palliative Medicine, Geriatrics and Internal Medicine. Dr. Pinderhughes received her Medical Degree from the University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey. She completed her residency at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, N.J.
Bridget Stiegler, DO, is a fifth generation Arizona native who completed her medical training at Midwestern University College of Medicine in 2006. Dr. Stiegler participated in a pre-doctoral teaching fellowship in neuromusculoskeletal medicine and remains active as adjunct faculty in the neuromusculoskeletal medicine department at Midwestern University in Glendale, Ariz. After completing her residency training in internal medicine at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center, Dr. Stiegler served as chief resident in 2009-2010, and then joined Banner Good Samaritan's faculty as a teaching attending on the Academic Medical Service. In 2013, Dr. Stiegler joined the palliative medicine team to work as a full-time palliative care physician. Dr. Stiegler has special interest in high-fidelity simulated medical education, and has authored and implemented the internal medicine Simulated Medical Education Program, a comprehensive procedural and case-based training program for residents. Dr. Stiegler has deep roots in the Arizona desert, and loves all that the state has to offer, including hiking, camping, fishing and skiing.
Julie Lehn, PharmD, is the doctor of Pharmacy on the Palliative Care team. Dr. Lehn earned her Doctorate of Pharmacy degree from the University of Iowa. She completed her PGY1 post-graduate residency at the Phoenix VA Medical Center. Dr. Lehn’s clinical pharmacy practice arena was Internal Medicine for nine years prior to her transition into Palliative Medicine in 2010.
Rachael Crane, LMSW is the program's licensed master social worker. Ms. Crane is licensed by the State of Arizona Board of Behavioral Health. Ms. Crane's clinical work includes long-term care facilities as social worker specializing in geriatric psychiatric care and also a mental health counselor with clients having serious mental illness.
For more information on the Palliative Medicine Program at Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center or to schedule an appointment to speak with a program representative, please call the Palliative Medicine office, (602) 839-5843 or the on-call pager at (602) 201-6523.
